Machine for feeding and placing can-caps.



F. H. &`F. R. FLUNDERS. MACHINE FOR FBSDING AND PLAGING GAN CAPS.

APPLIUATION rI-LBD MAY 31.19.12.

1,047,026, Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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l l W 7'/ A\/ M 5mm/whom P. H. & F. R. P LOUNDERS. MACHINE PoR PBEDING AND PLACING GAN CAPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31,1912.

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UNITED 'STATES PATENT clarion FREDERICK H, FLOUNDEBS AND FRANK R. FLUTDERS, 0F RIDGELY, MARYLAND.

MACHINE non Fnnnrive. ANn 'rLAcING CAN-cara spcificaun of Lettersra'tent.. Patented Dec,10,1912

Appiicaaon aies may si, 1912'. serial No. 700,768-,

To all 'whom t mag/concern l Be 1 known that` we, 'FREDERICK FLoUNDnRs .and F RANK R. FLOUNDERS, citizens of the United States, residin at has particular reference to a mechanism for Ri ely, in the county of Caroline and tate ofl `aryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Feeding and lacing Can-Caps, .of which the following is a specification'.

This invention relates to improvements in 'can' cap feeding and placing mechanism and reinovingcan caps one, at a time from a pile of capsI and presenting the same to the filled cans,-the caps being placed by the mechanism over the filling openings of the succeeding ca-ns in readiness to be soldered thereon.

It is immaterial to the Apresent inventionwhether the caps be provided with the socalled solder hems or not,- the invention consisting in the novel mechanism and-devices employed to sustain and feed the caps one at a time v'to the cans as the latter are presented tothe cap placing mechanism.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention wherein,

Figure 1, shows a top plan View of the improved machine in position at the side of a can conveyor. Fig. 2, illustrates a side elevation of the machine and a vertical cross! section through the can conveyer. Fig. 3,

shows a central vertical cross-sectional detail' for a conveyer, 2, which latter sustains the. filled cans, 3, and presents them in succession to the cap-feedand placing mechanism.`

One of the guide rails or supports rigidly sustains'a bracket, 4 and a vertical stationa post, 5, is supported by the said bracket an extends upwardly zit-the side and projects above the conveyer.. The extreme upper end of the post, 5, rigidly carries a bracket, 6, and an angle bar, 7, is carried by the said bracketand extends horizontally and later- 'ally with respect to said bracket and post.

Suitable rods, 8, depend from the angle bar, 7, and their lower ends rigidly sustain a' flatplate or table, 9, which4 has'a central opening, 10, so as to enable. the said table 'to extend entirely around the post,`5. The

rods, 8, are providedwith screw threads, 11, and nuts, 12, by means of which the table, 9, may be adjusted vertically with respect to the can conveyer, 2, over which one side of said table projects.

At one-sideof the has an opening, 13, wiiich latter has posi tion directly over `the'conveyer and immediately above the tops of the cans and the central filling openings, 14, in the can tops. A bushing ortubular sleeve, 15, isslipped onto -the vertical post, 5,-'so as to revolve tl'hereom-a'collar, 16, being rigidly. provided on the said post below the sleeve to sustain the latter and-.preventit from slid." ing downwardlyJ This sleeve extends-vertiost, 5, the table, 9,

@any hlllghthe central openin 10,1 in

the -ta-ble asshownin Fig. 3, and a ove thetable said-sleeve carries a collar,"1 7, which ismade rigid therewith by means -of a" set bolt, 18. A lug, 19, is provided on the circumference .of the collar, 17, for a-jpurpose which will presently be explained.

Between the 'collar 17, and table, 9, there is provided a circu -ar transfer disk, "20,A through the center of which sleeve, 15, extends. This transfer disk has a plurality of vertical openings, 21, into which the caps, 22, are deposited and said openings are of suiiicient size to readily 'receive the caps. At the rear,- each opening has' diverging walls, 23, 'which give the opening a V-shape or formation at that end and each of the? diverging walls has a downward and rearward bevel, 24, as shown particularly in Fig. 6.

' In the present instance the bottomsideY of the transfer disk, 20, is provided withunnecessary metal and it avoidscontact between the disk and table -surfaces except at .the points Where suoli contact is advantageous. The transfer disk is also provided,

inthe present instancia, 'with a verticallyextending pin,'26, Which latter has position in the'circular path' of the lug, 19, on collar, 17, so that as-the collar .is revolved its lug will engage pin, 26,'on the-disk and-cause said disk to also revolv'e.

' The revolution of the' collar,417, is eii'ected through the rotation of the sleeve, 15,: to which it is attached, and thesleeve is rotated in the present. instance by means of a star wheel, 27, whose arms, 28, project over` th conveyer, 2, and inthel path 'of'th'e illd and traveling cans, 3. It will-thus be seen that .inthe presentinstance the arms, 28, of the vstar- Wheel are successively engaged by the respective cans, each of-Which latter effects 4an intermittentand partial rotation of the star Wheel, sleeve collar, 17 and trans-V fer disk'. In the present instance thetransfer'disk is' provided With-four' cap-receiving openings, 21, Which'requires. that thedisk be given'four intermittentand partial movements before a complete .revolution of the disk takes place, therefore thestar wheel is provided with four arms, 28, or .one 'arm for Diametrically 'opposite the cap-discharge -opening, 13, in the table, 9, the upper sur-'-v face of the latter is provided with. spacedapart brackets, 29. .These 'brackets .each carry a bolt/'or pin, 30, Whichpivotally engage` a' bar, 31, that extends lengthwise between them and the bar carries V.a horizontal' plate', 33, having a cap-opening, 34, therein.V 'The plate, 33 projects over. the 'transfer disk, 20, and its opening, 34, has position Where'it will register with the cap-receiving "openings, 21, the disk, oneat a' time, as the disk is rotated. AAlcapchute or` tube, 35, is carried bythe plate,l 33, and has its lower end'in fixed relation and'register with the opening, 34, in the plate so that the caps' may be piled in tithe chute to' befreed or wlthdra'wnone. at a time from the lower end. The cap chute, 35, has position on the plate, 33,* so as togproject' slightly over one edge thereof and at this projecting edge-said chute hasa horizontal ci-rcumferential slot, 36, Which is shown clearly in Fig. 4.

escapement lever, 37, is pivotally sus-- .tained at one end'by the plate, '33,-a bolt.

38, passing freely through the 'lever and -engaging t-he saidplate, and a coiled spring,

39,\is carried on the bolt to yieldingly press the lever, 37, downwardly. Thislever has a concave notch, 40, in the side which confronts the slot, 36, in the cap chute and said notch has a beveled or .Wedge-.shaped Wall, 41, which enters the notch and forms a ledge or support for the can caps in the chute.

-An adjustingscrew, 42, passes through the escapemcnt lever, 37, and its lower end seats on the upper surface of the transfer disk, 20, so that by turning the screw. the beveled wall or support, 41, of the lever, '37 may be adjusted'with respec'tto the thickness of the-can caps and. thus enable said Wall to project beneath the edge of the second cap.

in the pile, lthus-leaving the loiverrnostcap' '70 in the pile free and supportedonly by the disk," 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The spring, 39,1011 bolt,.38, allows the eseapement lever,

37, to be vertically adjusted ,as -just eX-j i 49,on the plate, 33, whereby toyieldingly draiv the escapement lever, 37,' and* its..

beveledjivall, 41,-toivaidvthe ca'ps 4in theA The transfer disk, 20,' is provided pluralityl of vertically-projecting pins, 50,l 90

the-number of which' is determined 'by the number'oi cap-openingsl in the disk, thereV bei'ng'four in the present instance. .These pins are so placed onthe disk that they will successively cont-actwith the roller, '46, at 95 each intermittent revolution of the disk andf' will momentarily release the pile 'of caps:

in the chute so asit'o allow the lowermos't cap todrop onto thedisk, 20, but the 'pin 'will release the roller in time' to allow the 100 supportingwall, 41, of the escapement lever 'to-return and engage the second Acap in' the -pile to retain the remaining capsuntil the'. lower-most cap has been removed.4 The'operationpfthe machine-is as 'fol- 105- .lower-.The caps are' placed or fed in ny 'desired manner to t-he chute. or tube, 35, and

the entire pile -of 4 caps will normally bey sustained by the wall',41, of the escapement lever, The filled cans, 3, are.presented 110 in succession by the conveyer-.2,.t0 the star wheel, 27, and'each can imparts a partial'.

vrotating motion to the star Wheel, sleeve,-

15, and collar, 17, on the sleeve. A 'like partial rotation isgiven the transfer disk, 20, by the movement of the. star Wheel, which in the present instance, is effected bythe lug, 19, on'the collar engaging pin, 2G, on the disk. As each cap opening, 21,

in the disk,y 20, passes beneath the cap chute the lowerniost cap, which" has been' freed, as will presently be explained, will drop into said opening in front ctv-shaped A or diverging rear' walls, 23, ofesaid capopening, which latter serves to center the cap. As the disk makes its next movement to carry the cap away' from beneath thev chute, one ofthe pins, 50, on the disk will engage (he roller, 46, on the escapernent and Y will swing the lever, 37, sutlicient distance 13o away from the slot, 36, in the chute to allow the pile of caps to sett-le. At this time the previousl discharged cap will have been moved in a circular path over the table and away from the chute and the released pile of caps will settle on top of the disk with the lowermost cap in the path of the next opening, 21. Before the partial rotation of the disk is completed however, the pin, 50, will have passed the roller, 46, conv sequcntly the lever, 37,*will be returned so that its beveled wall, 41,'Will again enter the chute slot, 3G, and engage the lower edge of t-lie second cap, leaving the lowerniost y cap free to drop into the next cap opening of the disk. As the disk is revolved the walls, 23, of -its cap-openings will carry or slide the caps along'. over the table until finally the opening, 13, in the table is reached. As heretofore explained this opening,l 13, is located directly over. the tops of the cans on the coiiveyer, and as the-disk and cans move together and at the same speed, the cap will drop from opening, 21, through tableopening, 13, onto the can top and in position to cover the opening, 14, in said top.`

The filled cans with the loose' caps in place thereon are then moved to a capping machine where the capping irons are brought into register with the caps and the latter.

soldered on the cans'.

By mounting the cap chute on the hinged i plate, 33, bothmay be turned or swung back to permit'access to the under side for any purpose desired.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 4 1. In a can cap feeding mechanism the combination with means to convey cans, of

a stationary table having a cap dischargeopening over the center of the path of the cans; a cap chute above the table; a rotary K transfer device between the chute and table;

means for sustaining the caps in the chute;

means actuated by the movement of the transfer device to operateA the cap sustaining means and release' one cap at a time and v means actuated by the `cans for operating the transfer device.

2. In acan cap feeding mechanism the combination with means to convey cans, `of a stationary .table having a cap discharge C opening over the center of the patlilof the cans a capchute above the table; a rotary transfer device between the chute and table, said transfer device having a plurality of cap receiving openingsl thereon; means for presenting the openings in the transfer device successively to the opening in the table; means for releasing one cap at a time from said chute and depositing it in an opening lin the transfer' device and means for nioving the transferdevice.

3. In a can cap feeding mechanism the the table and transfer device and means for combination with means to convey cans, of a stationary table having a cap discharge opening over the lcenter of the path of the cans; a cap chute above the table; a. rotary transfer device between the chute and table; said transfer device having a plurality of-` cap receiving openings each of which has a cap-centering wall; means for freeing one cap at a time from the chute and in the path of the openings of the transfer device and means for rotating the transfer device to. move the caps from beneath the chute to the table opening. v

4. In a cap feeding mechanism the combination with a table having a cap-discharge opening, of a rotary transfer device movable over the table and having cap receiving and centering means; a cap chute havingjits lower' end adjacent to the transfer device; means for moving the chute with'respect t0 opening, of a rotary transfer devicemovable -over the table and having cap receiving and centering means; a cap chute having its lower end adjacent to the transfer device; la pivoted plate for sustaining the 'chuteg' means for releasing one cap at a time from the chute and means for moving the transfer fdevice.

isters with the lower end of the chute and means for moving 'the transfer device.

7. In a cap feeding mechanism the combination with a table having a cap-discharge opening, of a rotary transfer device movable over the table and having cap receiving and centering means; a cap chute' having its lowerend adj aceiit to the transfer device; a plate extending horizontally over the transfer device said plate sustaining the chute; means for adjusting the plate vertically with respect to the transfer device and means for rotating the transferdevice.

S. In a cap feeding mechanism the combination with a table having a cap-discharge opening, of a rotary transfer device movable over the table and having a plurality of cap receiving and centering openings in a circular path; a cap chute having its lower end adjacent to the transfer device and in the path of the'cap-receiving openings; a plate extending over the transfer device and sustaining the chute; an escapement device carried by the plate to free one cap at atime fil:

` groin the chute; means for moving` the trans.

er device and means for actuating the es capement.

9.. In a cap feeding mechanism thecombination with a table having-a cap-discharge opening, of a rotary transfer device movable over the table and having cap receiving and centering means; a plate extending over the transfer device; a chute extending. vertically `from and sustained bythe platc,said chute .having a circumferential slot at its lower end; means carried by the 'plate and entering the chute slot to sustain the caps in the `chute; means for yieldingly keeping the capsustaining means in said slot; means for moving the 'transfer device and means carried by the transfer device for operating the .cap-sustaining means to release one cap at a mtime. Y 10. In a cap feeding mechanism the comlbination with a table having a cap-discharge opening, of a rotary transfer device movable over lthe table and having cap receiving and centering means; a plate extending over the transfer device; a chute extending vertically from and snstained by the plate,said chute havinga circumferential slot at its lower end; means carried by the plate and entering the chute slot 4to sustain the caps in the chute; means also carried by the plate for yieldingly keeping the capasustaining means in the chute slot; means for pivotally snstaining the plate. whereby the same together with the chute' and cap sustaining means may be swung away from the rotary transq -fer device and means for moving the tranS- 

